Selective Extraction of Sinapic Acid Derivatives from Mustard Seed Meal by Acting on pH: Toward a High Antioxidant Activity Rich Extract

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of the pH on the extraction of sinapic acid and its derivatives from mustard seed meal. Solutions of acidic pH (pH 2), basic pH (pH 12) and distilled water (uncontrolled pH ~ 4.5) were tested at different percentages of ethanol. The maximum extraction yield for sinapic acid (13.22 µmol/g of dry matter (DM)) was obtained with a buffered aqueous solution at pH 12. For ethyl sinapate, the maximum extraction yield reached 9.81 µmol/g _DM with 70% ethanol/buffered aqueous solution at pH 12. The maximum extraction yield of sinapine (15.73 µmol/g _DM) was achieved with 70% ethanol/buffered aqueous solution at pH 2. The antioxidant activity of each extract was assessed by DPPH assay; the results indicated that the extracts obtained at pH 12 and at low ethanol percentages (<50%) exhibit a higher antioxidant activity than extracts obtained at acidic conditions. Maximum antioxidant activity was reached at pH 12 with buffer solution (11.37 mg of Trolox Equivalent/g _DM), which confirms that sinapic acid-rich fractions exhibit a higher antioxidant activity. Thus, to obtain rich antioxidant extracts, it is suggested to promote the presence of sinapic acid in the extracts.     

PDA and Neural Network Investigation of Swirl Spray Interaction Phenomena

Experiments are performed to investigate the atomization characteristics of mixed‐interaction regions of sprays of two swirl injectors installed side by side. Both droplet size and velocity distributions on a plane perpendicular to the axes of the injectors are measured using a PDA system. As a result of the interaction phenomenon, a region of secondary atomization is identified that differs significantly from the hollow region spray of a single swirl injector. A neural network algorithm is used to reconstruct the entire spray field for both droplet size and velocity distribution in extrapolation regimes for injector spacing as well as three dimensional spatial coordinates. Excellent agreement between the predicted values and the measurements is obtained. It is observed that points on the extrapolation regime of the neural network can be predicted with an accuracy of 93 % using a training data set with less than 50 % of the number of data points to be predicted. The results indicate the capability of performing design‐ and optimization studies for pressure‐swirl injectors, with sufficient accuracy, by applying a modest amount of data in conjunction with an overall optimized value for the width of the probability.     

Wrapping an Organic Reducing Reagent in a Cationic Boron Complex and Its Use in the Synthesis of Polyhalide Monoanionic Networks

The reaction between BF₃ ? OEt₂ and one of two guanidines, 1,8‐bis(tetramethylguanidinyl)naphthalene (btmgn) and 1,2,4,5‐tetrakis(tetramethylguanidinyl)naphthalene (ttmgn), yields the salts [(btmgn)(BF₂)]BF₄ and [(ttmgn)(BF₂)₂](BF₄)₂. NMR spectroscopic data show that the boron atoms in the cation and anion exchange in the case of [(ttmgn)(BF₂)₂](BF₄)₂, but not in the case of [(btmgn)(BF₂)]BF₄. The rate constant for this exchange was estimated to be 4 s^?1 at 80 °C for solutions in CH₃CN. These salts were subsequently used for the reduction of dihalides Br₂ or I₂ to give polyhalide salts. We report the synthesis and first complete characterization (including structural analysis) of salts that contain pentabromide monoanions. In these salts, the Br₅^? anions interact to give dimeric units or polymeric chains. Our results are compared to previous quantum chemical calculations on the gas‐phase structure of the Br₅^? anion. The possible pathways that lead to the polyhalides are evaluated. In the case of [(ttmgn)(BF₂)₂](BF₄)₂, reduction is accompanied by ttmgn oxidation, whereas in the case of [(btmgn)(BF₂)]BF₄ reduction is initiated by aromatic substitution.     

A universal nucleoside with strong two-band switchable fluorescence and sensitivity to the environment for investigating DNA interactions

With the aim of developing a new tool to investigate DNA interactions, a nucleoside analogue incorporating a 3-hydroxychromone (3HC) fluorophore as a nucleobase mimic was synthesized and incorporated into oligonucleotide chains. In comparison with existing fluorescent nucleoside analogues, this dye features exceptional environmental sensitivity switching between two well-resolved fluorescence bands. In labeled DNA, this nucleoside analogue does not alter the duplex conformation and exhibits a high fluorescence quantum yield. This probe is up to 50-fold brighter than 2-aminopurine, the fluorescent nucleoside standard. Moreover, the dual emission is highly sensitive to the polarity of the environment; thus, a strong shielding effect of the flanking bases from water was observed. With this nucleoside, the effect of a viral chaperone protein on DNA base stacking was site-selectively monitored.     

Contact values for disparate-size hard-sphere mixtures

A universality ansatz for the contact values of a multicomponent mixture of additive hard spheres is used to propose new formulae for the case of disparate-size binary mixtures. A comparison with simulation data and with a recent proposal by Alawneh and Henderson for binary mixtures shows reasonably good agreement with the predictions for the contact values of the large–large radial distribution functions. A discussion on the usefulness and limitations of the new proposals is also presented.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of (−)-cathinone in plasma

Summary High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the determination of (–)-cathinone in rabbit and human plasma has been studied. The problem of dimerization during extraction from plasma was satisfactorily resolved. Detection was by UV at 257 nm. Concentration levels as low as 24 ng ml^–1 were satisfactorily determined. This level of sensitivity should be adequate for the detection of (–)-cathinone in the blood of khat users and also for the quantitative determination of (–)-cathinone in blood for pharmacokinetic purposes. The applicability of the assay procedure to pharmacokinetic studies is demonstrated.     

Hydrogenation of CO2‐Derived Carbonates and Polycarbonates to Methanol and Diols by Metal–Ligand Cooperative Manganese Catalysis

The first base‐metal‐catalysed hydrogenation of CO₂‐derived carbonates to alcohols is presented. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions in the presence of a well‐defined manganese complex with a loading as low as 0.25 mol %. The non‐precious‐metal homogenous catalytic system provides an indirect route for the conversion of CO₂ into methanol with the co‐production of value‐added (vicinal) diols in yields of up to 99 %. Experimental and computational studies indicate a metal–ligand cooperative catalysis mechanism.     

Specific heat capacities of pure triglycerides by heat-flux differential scanning calorimetry

The specific heat capacities of some triglycerides commonly found in palm oil were determined with a heat-flux differential scanning calorimeter. The specific heat capacity measurements were made under the optimum operating conditions determined earlier: scan rate 17 deg·min^?1, sample mass 21 mg and purge gas (nitrogen) flow rate 50 ml/min. Pure triglycerides (four simple and four mixed) were used in the experiments. The four simple triglycerides were trilaurin, trimyristin, tripalmitin and tristearin, and the mixed triglycerides were 1,2-dimyristoyl-3-oleoyl, 1,2-dimyristoyl-3-palmitoyl, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-oleoyl and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-palmitoyl. The results of this study are compared with literature values and also with values obtained by using estimation methods. The experimental specific heat capacities are within ±1% precision with a 95% confidence level.     

Improved conditions for measurement of the specific heat capacities of pure triglycerides by differential scanning calorimetry

Reproducible specific heat capacities (C _p) of triglycerides can be obtained by using heat-flux DSC under improved operating conditions. The improved operating parameters, such as the scanning rate, the sample mass and the atmosphere within the DSC chamber, were established via statistical analysis of the experimental data with trilaurin as a sample. The specific heat capacity results on trilaurin were compared with the values calculated by using estimation methods. The precision of the specific heat capacity measured for trilaurin under these conditions was within ±1%.